Healthy Schools Begin with Healthy Relationships. Recognizing that adolescents in Peru often face significant social, emotional, and educational challenges, Dr. Violeta Luna originated and led the development of Caring Conversations: Counseling Skills for High School Teachers as the project’s primary coordinator in the United States. Working collaboratively with Dr. Megan Bearden and a team of clinical counselors, the initiative was designed to equip public school teachers in Metropolitan Lima, Peru, with counseling-informed communication and relational skills that strengthen teacher-student relationships.
The initiative was developed in partnership with Escuela de Carácter y Ciudadanía and in collaboration with the Dirección Regional de Educación de Lima Metropolitana (DRELM). Rather than preparing teachers to become counselors, the program empowers educators to communicate with greater empathy, recognize students’ emotional needs, foster psychological safety, and create classroom environments where young people feel respected, supported, and ready to learn.
Grounded in counseling principles, educational research, and culturally responsive practice, the initiative promotes teacher well-being while strengthening teachers’ self-efficacy and relational effectiveness with their students. The program is currently being evaluated through collaborative research examining its impact on teacher self-efficacy, teacher-student relationships, and educator well-being.
By strengthening the adults who influence adolescents each day, Caring Conversations: Counseling Skills for High School Teachers seeks to improve educational experiences, foster student resilience, and contribute to healthier schools and more flourishing communities.